Is Training Your Cat to Walk On a Leash a Bad Idea?!? 

🐱💜The Jackson Galaxy Convertible Cat Backpack Carrier shop.jacksongalaxy.com/products/the-jackson-galaxy-convertible-cat-backpack-carrier

Here's an advantage we discovered with our cat that I didn't hear him mention: your cat gets to know the neighborhood, so that if they do somehow get out, they know where home is. We had left a window open in our apartment, and the cat managed to loosen the screen and slip out. We were panicked, and went searching for him but couldn't find him. After a couple of hours, we heard scratching at the door, opened it and found him sitting in the hallway. One of the neighbors had let him in the main doors and he just knew where to go.

My cat does better when I leash walk him daily. Otherwise, he’s bored which is when he gets into Arsehole mode and destroys my stuff.

Having a pet is like having a child you get a bunch of people criticizing everything you do and giving you advice you didn't ask for

I have two cats - one loves it, one doesn't. The one that does has never escaped her harness, she walks with me and when she sees dogs, she is actually curious and has never ran off. When she sits and look up at the sky to bask in the sun rays, the look of contentment and happiness on her little face is priceless. I catify my house but it cannot replace the mojo they get from going outdoors.

Here's my top tips for walking cats: Don't try to pull them in the direction that you want them to go, but hold the leash tight so they can't go any other way than where you want them to. They will pull and strain to go where they want, but will eventually realize they only have one option, and go that way. Just hold steady while they try to go other ways. If you do pull them they will turn and try to back out of the harness if they can. Cats take a lot more patience than dogs, and don't walk on a leash the same at all. Pay attention and start slow, before long it will be no big deal. This has been my experience anyway, hope it helps someone.

I have a cat that I take on walks around the neighborhood with his harness when the neighborhood dogs aren’t outside. He’s an old boy, 14, and was my dads cat before he passed in March 2020. He was always an outdoor cat but lived out in the middle of nowhere where the risks of wondering weren’t as great compared to the city I live in. The first year I had him he was depressed, obviously, and then I started taking him outside on a leash and it helped so much. Now he alerts me when it’s time for his walk. He leads me down the street and we turn around whenever he wants. He loves it and looks forward to it everyday!

I trained my little kitten to walk on a harness and everytime someone comes up to me and is like „so u actually want a dog“ „this is unnatural „ blablabla like wtf since when is putting a dog on a leash „natural“?

The same risks are present when leash walking dogs, and you don’t see shelters/rescues demanding you not walk your dogs. That’s insane!

That's why I love Jackson. He lives in the real world and teaches people how to be good responsible pet owners not dictating in a condescending way.

When you walk a small dog, it could also get out and get killed by large predators, so that argument is silly. Like anything when you're taking care of an animal, you are trying to balance risks with quality of life benefits. We saw in your show that some cat breeds like Bengals are so energetic that if you don't walk them they'll tear their owners to shreds. If those cats can't be walked, then those cats might be killed by being unable to be adopted. It's just a bit silly to advocate for a carte blanche prohibition.

He is SUPER balanced in his approach. And that is refreshing.

"Just build a catio" is terrible advice- it doesn't give any consideration whatsoever to people who live in apartments and absolutely cannot build one. I always bring my cat backpack when I take my kitty out for walks. Nice to know that was Jackson's advice! It's not that hard to make sure your cat is safe and secure while you're out on walks together.

People talk down on me for leash walking all the time. The only way I can keep him sane is to walk him two to three times a day. He is a huge boi. Don't be dumb keep your hand tight on the leash when they dart and pick them up if they get over excited and take them in for a bit. It's not that hard. Oi. Anothrr thing Is stay off your phone and pay attention to your cats nuances. Be ready. Never walk a cat. They walk you. Keep them safe. It's a parents duty. Love you Jackson.

My cat willow is so much happier when she gets to go outside on a leash, and honestly the risk is worth seeing her explore and enjoy herself. Imagine staying inside your entire life! Lol

One of my three cats really enjoys being outside... however to say I "leash walk" her is a very poor description. As her slave I "leash follow" her. But she absolutely LOVES it!!

Yes ‘strictly indoor’ is on the adoption contract of my cat because my street is close to two major roads with a lot of traffic. I felt so bad when I signed the contract, it felt like I am giving my cat a ‘life sentence’. Later I found out my cat absolutely LOVES being outdoor, so after a lot of (internal) struggles, I harness trained her, and walk her on my deck (I have a big deck). She is so much happier! I still feel bad for breaking the contract, but my cat’s well-being is so much more important!

I leash walk my cat specifically because if she ever does dart, now she knows the area and can come back home. She loves going outside too and that's the only way to make it happen at my apartment

I have never disagreed with Jackson Galaxy, and I agree with him here 100% too! Responsible pet owners can find ways of enrichment for their cats and walking on leash when done properly is a great enrichment ♥️🐾😻🤗💕

I applied to many adoption shelters/rescues and made it VERY clear my cat would be an indoor cat BUT I would be trying harness training it (indoors first of course). I was honestly shocked at how many places turned me down simply because of this reason. Good to hear from someone as knowledgeable as you, that I'm not crazy.

I live in a small flat in the UK. I first introduced my Bengal kitten to her harness just by throwing it around and letting her play with it. First time I put it on her she was a total drama queen!! Falling on her side and squawking!! After I took her outside for a couple of times, she got used to the fact that the harness means going outside!! she now sits there quite happily while I put it on her! She was around 4 or 5 months when i first did it... She's now 14 months old and LOVES her harness!!!!

My cat is extremely happy when he sees the harnes and the leash. He is like a dog when it comes to going out. He somethimes cries at the door to let me know it's time to go out.

If I didn’t walk my cat, he would bust out of the house whenever he possibly could. When we rescued him, it was clear that his previous owners let him out whenever he wanted. He is an amazing escape artist and his life purpose was just to escape. I tried to keep him inside for seven years, thinking we were doing the right thing. When we moved from an apartment to a house with a catio already there, we thought it would be perfect. All he did was sit in it and yowl, and he continued to break out whenever he could. I started walking him on a leash about year and a half ago, and he is so much happier now. He doesn’t desperately rush the door every time it’s opened, and his daily yowling at doors, windows, and in his catio has all but stopped. It has been a blast for me, too. I actually just follow him around with the leash and allow him to be a cat. He usually likes to explore our front and back yards, but he also likes to go across the street or around the block to explore. He loves meeting and greeting dogs and has become an honorary neighborhood pooch. I hadn’t realized what a social activity walking a dog is, but we’ve gotten to know a lot of great neighbors we wouldn’t have, otherwise. He’s amazing on the leash and harness, especially when we’re walking down the sidewalk. He usually walks in perfect heel position-my neighbors marvel over this, and can’t believe he does it naturally. Yes, he has gotten out of the harness a few times, especially in the beginning, because we used a cheap harness. He can still get out of his “escape-proof” harness given a little more time, but that’s what we’re here for. We’re also here to keep him from killing birds and darting out in front of cars. I do have neighbors say that they wished they could train their cats to walk on a leash, but to the neighbors who say that their cat either doesn’t care about going out or the ones who let their cats out, anyway, I tell them it probably won’t be as easy as it was for us, because neither of those types of cats would be motivated. It’s hilarious to walk him, too-it’s way different from walking a dog. It’s more following him around and watching him explore or lay in the grass and watch the world. There is no training him to go on a walk like a dog, but it’s really fun to see what he wants to do next. I let him stay outside as long as he wants most days, which may be one reason he is satisfied. He is so much of a happier cat now that I feel guilty for all the years we kept him inside thinking that his flea allergy would get worse if he went outside. It didn’t. If anything, it’s improved, because his stress level is so much lower. I’m glad we can do this for him now, though.

What a bunch of Karens. When I stopped walking my cat because of work, she began pooping and urinating all over my home. We went back to treating her with her little walks and she stopped creating messes THE DAY we took her out.

Last March (2023) I was entering the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds before the festival opened. There was a young woman there delivering cash to vendors who had on one of the cat backpacks. She told me that the cat will walk on the leash but when she’s out working, the cat loves being in the backpack going with her. I think if the cat is healthy and happy, other people should mind their own business. I asked questions because I was curious. Both of my cats have been in harnesses since they were kittens. Best thing I ever did for them. Putting them in carriers to take them to the vet is traumatic. Hooking a leash is easier on both them and me. By the way, my previous cats were trained to harnesses when they were 13 and 11 years old with no issues. The 2 I have now have always been in harnesses, one when he was 4 weeks, he was a rescue, and the other was about 12 weeks, she got her first harness the day I got her. They done even notice them now.

I just started taking one of my cats outside on a harness. He loves it. But I already knew from prior escape attempts he'd love it. We havent even been doing it for a week yet and he's already started rolling on the ground exposing his belly. It's built his confidence up. He's always been real nervous around our other cats but going outside on a harness and leash has been extremely therapeutic and I see a major change in his confidence level. I love the way he looks up at me when we're walking around the yard, it's like I can see the gratitude in his eyes.

Honestly my cat hated her harness in the beginning, but we took it slow reinforcing positive association with treats and just holding the harness in our hands when playing with her and eventually she got used to it. When we finally took her outside in it she had a great time. It took months, but now she literally screams at the back door to go outside everyday haha. We take her and our older cat out and they love it. Like Jackson said, it just takes time and patience and of course you have to listen to the cat haha. Honestly its easier to go out with her than my dog.

I started at age 13 weeks, after giving our kitten 3 weeks of getting used to us. The first 3 weeks was just high-end treat (dried chicken heart) with putting the harness on its back, then under its belly, slowly pulling it up or loosely fastening it. Walks started in our backyard for 2-5 minutes for another few weeks. Carrying it around in our jackets on our arms followed. We are at a point now, where we can put on the harness without needing to distract with food. And we take our cat on our arm when we go out and it lets us know when it wants to walk, sniff & climb. When we see a dog, we lift it up. For longer trips there is the backpack. This is our first cat, and I never bought into those biases, I always looked for research. Thank you Jackson!

I’m so relieved to hear that you support cat walking. I have adopted a stray who seems happy in my apartment, but asks to go outside a few times a day. I’ve gotten him a harness and am trying to get him used to it. I can’t wait to put out with him and see his old hangouts!

yup, definitely dont get the sentiment of how walking a cat is bad. its literally no different than the risks of walking a dog.

My sister’s kitty was a street cat in Thailand that she adopted when she was living there and brought back to the USA. She has never been completely happy as an indoor cat, but among other reasons not to let her outside she is FeLV positive, so she could infect other cats in the neighborhood. She LOVES her leash walks to get her mental stimulation in.

My 1.4 year old cat LOVES his walks. 😍 He knows exactly what time we usually go out and he'll sit at the door and meow sadly until I put his harness on him. We do the pickup technique to discourage door dashing (works great). We live in a wooded area and sometimes he'll just hunt frogs around the pond, but sometimes he wants to walk the trails and up trees (we prevent him from going too high with the leash lol) he loves it. He has gotten away from me once in the back field, he dashed for something and I thought the leash loop was around my wrist when it wasn't. Dissapeared a good 100 feet away and into the treeline, leash dragging behind him. It was very scary, we called for him and he started meowing! "Keep meowing baby! I'm coming!" When we found each other about 2 minutes later, he came running up to me looking like "I thought you were behind me where did you go??" Usually when he runs I can run with him, so he probably thought I was right behind him. So thankful he was a good boy 😭🙏💕 I am very mindful with the leash loop now. Honestly he's walked so much of our property if he did get out, it gives me some reassurance he would know how to find home than if we never walked him! Of course there's a risk anytime you bring your pet anywhere. People walk dogs all the time like ???? I would never think to not give him the joy he loves of being outside.

My Siamese loves his walks, and they're so important for his quality of life. He has a lot of energy to burn and needs all the stimulation he can get.

We have four cats in our house, two wear leashes and two don't. The ones that don't wear them were trained in them first and now know they have to stay in the back yard. Naturally they have a set playtime supervised by myself and my daughter who the cats belong to. The other two are still young and still being trained. Safety first!!😻👌 We've never had problems with our cats wearing leashes, infact, they get excited when they see them because they know it's outside time. The two cats still wearing a leash don't actually have to be held on to. We take them out and let them roam the back yard not holding on to their leash. They just know by wearing it that we're always close by if needed so they don't try anything. Maybe I'm lucky but we have super good kitties😻

Leash walking greatly improved my cats' lives. One of my cats has high anxiety, is high energy, and is crazy smart. I've tried every possible way to enrich his life indoors, and it's just not enough. The indoors alone don't give him the stimulation he needs. One hour long walk outside provides him both mental and physical exercise, and keeps him relaxed for the rest of the day. I could never take that away from him because something bad MIGHT happen. Yes, there's a slim chance something bad could happen, but there's a 100% chance his life is made better with walks outside.

You're very right about "practicing your fire drill." My cats can't go outside (one has allergies and the other would NOT tolerate a harness), but when it comes to getting them into carriers, I practiced that to where it doesn't really freak them out. That was a good thing when we got a tornado warning and I was able to easily get them into their carriers so I could take them with me to shelter in the closet without losing critical time. :-)

My cat Moggy took to a leash like a duck to water. I was moving from the UK to the USA and bringing him with me. I figured life would be easier if I could leash train him. So I bought a dog harness, put it on him and he's like "I got this!" Trotted around like he'd been born doing it. Took the trip to the airport and he sat on the coach seat next to me. So we get to the USA and instead of having to board him Moggy stayed in the hotel with us. We were there 3 months and had no issues. I took him for walks 3-4 times a day and he went potty so rarely used the litter box. Trips to the vet were easy...no cage, went on his leash and sat in the waiting room on a chair and waited his turn. At home I limited walks to our neighborhood so that he wouldn't venture too far and get lost. Moggy went on to live until he was 25 years old, and would have been much longer if it hadn't been for kidney cancer. He was such a wonderful boy and I still miss him.

I travel extended trips in my RV. I can't imagine my cat not being able to get outside everyday - just like I do. Harness training made this possible. She KNOWS that she can go outside - with a leash, and beside me. We go on adventures together.

I learned my cat loved wearing a harness and going outside and was absolutely amazed when I moved cross country with my him. He had been a completely indoor cat up until that point so I thought I would need to keep him in his carrier but early on in the trip I trusted him to let him out and found out he is the most amazing travel companion. He took to his harness immediately, napped in the sun on the dashboard during the day and would whine for us to stop as soon as the sun went down, keeping us on a really good schedule. We stopped in New Orleans and he surprised me again, being very curious about the band playing and hammed it up for the tourists that came up to see him. I think he liked going to White Sands the most, he was fascinated by the sand under his paws. We ended up walking around and exploring all over the place with him happily hopping along with me.

I saw that article and I went "Ooooooh boy Jackson is going to have thoughts on this!" and I was right ❤

THANK YOU, JACKSON! We had to lie on our adoption application about our intent to harness train. I can’t even imagine taking away the outdoors from my kitties. Walks have just blossomed their confidence

My cat goes absolutely berserk when he hears that Velcro! He loves his walks every day. Thanks Jackson!

I wish my cat wanted to go on walks with me! my cat absolutely does NOT wanna go outside 🤣

I live in a flat with a busy road near by, I don’t let my cat out. Since my Cat lily was 10 weeks old and fully jabbed we’ve going for walks on her lead. We started in the front garden and slowly let her sniff around. Then we went for walks along the footpath and to a local park. Now she’s six months old and we go over to the local wildlife park that’s behind me and she loves it. I carry her along the main road and the moment we get to the park and we’re away from traffic she jumps down and we go every where for good 2 hours. Shes learnt to jump on my shoulders when she see a dog or something she doesn’t like. Today we went over there and for the first time I let her off the lead in a quiet part and she followed me for a good hour. Stopping to climb trees and chase birds. I’d recommend everyone to lead train their cat. Especially in the uk where outside space is limited.

I have a similar backpack when I take Midnight out and when she sees a dog she comes to my feet meaning “carry me” and then she’s completely fine. She loves being out. She loves the park. When she’s tired I carry her and she enjoys the view. I always get the looks of bewilderment and wows when people hear a meow at the end of the leash which is always fun. Most importantly Midnight enjoys it and that’s what matters.

There's a town in Ontario that passed a by-law that all cats and dogs must be leashed when they are outside. We've had a series of coyote killing cats in my town so I think it's safe to have such a law.

We've been walking our boy, Jasper, since he was about 5 months old. He's a year old now and adores going outside. I can't imagine his life being as fulfilled as it is now without our walks.

Good for you Jackson. A well-reasoned situational stance is rare in today's social climate. "Always" and "Never" are bad strategies with cats - they are all different and special. "Figure out what your cat needs and give it to them as safely as possible" is pretty much the job description of cats' human companions.

This is the BEST video I have found on this. My cat came from my friend who owns a farm, she spent 6 months roaming the farm as a kitten. She loves being home, but she wants to have outdoor time as well. There is no removing that from my cat, and honestly I don't wish to. She currently has a cat backpack, and she goes out on the patio daily. I'm going to get her a harness today. I think she can fit one at this point since she has grown a lot. I'm gonna slowly start taking her for short walks. Our Labrador is very protective of her, she won't let any dogs hassle her. It'll show her that this is a normal thing her friend does, and she can do it too. But just in case like you said, I'll bring her backpack for safety 🙏 If she doesn't get time outdoors, she becomes irritable. Totally adverse from my prior cat who had been a home body.

I have 2 precious kitties, one is the “OMG it’s scary out here!” The other one is staring out the window, thinking “oh snap! That’s a nice juicy bird!” 🤣

I leash and backpack trained trained my kitty. As he's gotten older, he'd actually rather go out in the backpack. But the backpack has always been a great solution for running into strange animals. He goes right in, on his own. Just gotta put it on the ground.

I'm picking up a Bengal from a shelter in two weeks and she's used to being outside, but ran away from her last foster for two weeks, so the shelter actually recommended leash training, which is really cool! They also wanted her to go to a home that was willing to clicker train and basically make their home into a cat-jungle and I'm very much excited to get started!

The thing to remember when walking a cat on the leash is that really the cat is walking you on a leash. Just let them take you where they want (unless they try to go somewhere they shouldn't).

It is so wild to me how drastically different the most common accepted wisdom is regarding this across the pond: in the UK, most adoption places strongly advise you must be able to provide a cat outdoor access (generally assumed free roaming rather than leashed or catio). I know a lot of that will be the different predators here, but it still fascinates me.

My 18 year old, Stella Blue, will sit by the door and howl until someone takes her for a walk. Always use a leash for safety.

I was so excited to try harness and leash with my new cat, my last cat loved it. It took me over a month to find a harnesses that was right for a cat but big enough for him (deep chest and wide shoulders..I know it sounds silly..but for real and he's not overweight lol). Then finding his jackpot treats. Then slowly introducing the harness. Today was the first day I got him fully clipped into the harness (3 months into this plan now) and he haaaaated it! He never did the "freeze and flop", it was loose enough to get my whole hand under every strap so I know it wasn't too tight, and when he finally started moving again he didn't walk funny, so it was clearly not truly too restricting. He has shown interest for outside and even accidentally snuck out onto the stoop recently, but when I opened the door and sat just outside to see if he'd get the idea the the harness means outside time he COWERED!! I felt sooo bad! So no, it's not for every cat, even with all my mediation of risk lol In hindsight when he snuck out a fee days ago he didn't bolt but immediately hunkered down, if he does end up liking outside time he'll probably prefer a "cat-io" and maybe someday he'll trust me enough for a backpack..

I rescued a stray kitten a few weeks ago. Today I put her first harness on her and took her in the yard. She loved it! Later in the day, she sat quietly to get her harness on for the second time and was so happy to be outside again.

you give such a big voice for cats, which imo are such misunderstood creatures, and I'm so grateful for it as a huge cat lover 😭❤️🙏

I have this kitten. He loves to be around us. He even loves car rides and he’s not even 1 year old yet. We take him outside in a cat backpack that opens up to be small enclosed space. He loves watching my mom work in the garden and of course the birds. We got him a harness but I think it’s a bit too big for him right now. But other than that I think what he loves the most is just being with my family.

100% agree about harness walking your cat being very fulfilling and healthy for a cat that shows an interest in doing that. My sweet little buddy, Luther, who died in 2019, after being with us for 13 years, and our sweet little Friday, who died in 2021, after being with us for 15 years. Both had shown interest in wanting to go outside. About 10 years earlier, I had built a small enclosure outside - at my mom's house - for them. They didn't get to use it very often, but when they did, they rolled around in the leaves, caught critters, watched birds, listened to and watched everything going on, and just hung out in there. Little Friday went to live with my son. It took me years to figure that out how to take Luther for a walk safely. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a harness for most of his life. I finally figured it out and off we went. He was totally cooperative with everything, didn't need to train him even, he just let me put it on and I took him to the car. We went to a school out in the country. He absolutely loved it! Well, I didn't realize at the time that he only had a few weeks to live after our first walk. I was glad to be able to make his last few weeks of life more fulfilling and joyful. I have videos of those walks and it makes me happy to see him so happy and, of course, sad because he's gone now.

I live in a rural area in Germany. Two years ago my sister‘s cat had a litter of four. She asked me if I would take one. I chose a small tuxedo female called Tappsi. She was the only one of four who wanted to follow her mother outside since a very young age, as small kitten. When the mother cat went outside, our kitten always tried to follow her, sat in front of and ran from window to window. When we finally got her at 14 weeks, she always wanted to get outside, not a good idea at that stage, as she neither was chipped nor neutered (mandatory in the area we live in, if you let your cat outside). So I got her a harness and leash so she could get outside, but in a controlled way. I walked her (or better: she walked me) around our property first: along the fences, from front and back door, during day and night numerous times, so she would get to know her home garden. After that we went around the neighboring streets and forest roads, about 1 Km in total length (not in one go, only as far as she wanted to go). A cat on a leash is very much unlike a dog. Dogs (mostly) follow you, you decide where to go. Our cat had quite different ideas. Staying at a spot for about 10 Minutes, chasing a Butterfly, dashing back where we just came from, sitting down. The cat walks you, do not try to force a certain way. BTW I had a 5 m dog leash (it was necessary because she liked to run in our garden). Try not to hold them back with force unless you absolutely have to. I walked her on the sideways, always stopped for a moment when crossing streets, always stayed on the side of the street, always crossed on the shortest way. I did it over and over again. Finally, when she was microchipped and neutered I let her go outside on her own (but followed her several times). She is not a cat to be kept inside, she has a very strong drive to get outside (the same as her mother!). BTW if you get a shelter cat (in our area) they strongly ask you to let your cat outside (on their own) if it is possible (not if you live in a very densely populated area). As we live quite rural, most cats can and do go outside, just where we live there are 6 cats who are regularly stroll the vicinity, especially the way from the street along our front door to our terrace, there up a wall to our neighbors. Yes, there are dangers for cats if they go outside, but if you have seen the joy of a cat sunbathing, go hunting mice in the high grass, playing and chasing neighbors‘ cats - it is their habitat to live in, not a 2 room flat. Another aspect to consider: don‘t let yourself be fooled by your lovely sweet kitty - they are predators, naturally born killers. They do not treat mice nicely - it‘s kill them, eat them to survive. No mercy. I know of the dangers for my cat -but …. would you keep your daughter, your son inside your house because of possible dangers? In the end it is weighing the pros and cons what is best for your cat. Every time my cat gets inside after several hours outside she greets me (of course part of it because I provide food), but she does it on her own free will, because she is happy, gets what she needs to live a cats life. And that‘s what it is about - a happy and joyful family member. She is not (only) a pet, she is not an „Ersatz“ child, she is a cat.

I’ve tried it. My one cats wants nothing to do with it and just sits. The other does about the same but won’t walk when I want her to either. However, she wants to go outside all the time and I use it as a way to keep “hold” of her but let her sniff around and roam around near by. As soon as a car comes though, she scrambles to the front door of the apartment. Cars are big scary monsters to them.

My fur baby Princess Pipsqueak is 5 years old and loves to walk around the neighborhood wearing her harness and leash!! She walks proudly with her tail straight up in the air as she surveys all of her kingdom!! She has the confidence of a 500 pound Tiger all wrapped up in a 13 pound body!! She's been walking on a harness and leash ever since she was a tiny kitten. She has become somewhat of a celebrity in our town. She's had tons of people stop and take her picture. She's been in the newspaper. She's a celebrity at my son's school and somewhat of a mascot too! She loves it all!! She walks around pet food stores wearing her "safety gear" (harness & leash & collar) like she owns the place and she's a huge hit! She also loves going for car rides with her family too!! Of course, she always wears all her "safety gear" (harness, leash, & collar) each and every time she goes out!!!

i really wish i knew about harness walking when I owned my cat who passed in 2012. He was a door dasher (and when he got out he RAN) and I think he would’ve loved walks but I just didn’t have enough information about harness training at the time.

My 17 yr old orange cat with chronic kidney disease is happier and has a better appetite when he gets regular walks. And we got him a stroller for when he gets tired/sore and would rather be carried home. I'd never take those outings away from him!

My 7 month old kitten loves his walks. As soon as I put his harness on he goes to the front door and waits for me. I walk him to my friends place and he goes tree climbing with her cat. Not only does he get the benefits of being outside but he also gets playtime with another cat who teaches him how to play nicer. In return I get a happy little boy who doesn’t destroy my apartment.

My cat loves his walks! If I don't take him out I have to deal with play aggression.

We have been Cat Guardians for decades. When we moved to a different state in the mountains, we discovered the need to harness train our cats. Because of predators, our cats only go out supervised. We used harnesses to lead them into safe areas. Now, those cats will stay within their boundaries. When we get a new kitten, we harness train them until they are able to stay close.

I just adopted my first cat and I immediately knew I wanted to take her out but not have her be an outdoor cat. I tried harness at first, even training in harness, but she simply did not tolerate it. so I got her a leash, and she let me slip it right on. she's still getting used ro it of course. but I just can't imagine keeping my curious little teenage cat locked indoors 24/7. we've already let her out on the patio and she begs to go out there, I know she wants to explore. I don't wanna keep her locked up, and harness was a big no, so I'm glad to hear the positive take on leash training. I'm not gonna make my babies home a prison

Jackson Galaxy is definitely in tune with what we cat owners have in terms of future topics! The youtube videos are Extremely Informative!😊

I went through 3 different large cat adoption agencies in a major city to find a companion for my cat. Every single one required that you sign a contract saying you will never take your cats outside. They also ask if your current animals have ever been outside (including leash walking) if they have been, they won’t consider you as an applicant. I think this is ridiculous, I don’t let my cat go outside unsupervised and without a leash however the leash allows an improved quality of life. It also helps if you have long car rides!

Thank you! I have two cats that are leash trained. Neither has ever gotten out of their harness, nor even tried to. They just want to sniff new things, roll on different surfaces, chase bugs, and eat some grass. They absolutely adore going outside. We live in an apartment so a catio isn't possible, and it's way too busy with traffic to allow them to just roam freely. This is a safe option that gives them mental stimulus and fresh air. I really can't understand how anyone would truly be against it.

My cat had been strictly indoor for the first 5 years of her life. She loved our screen porch, but after a couple of years I let her come out in the backyard with me and I followed her around to teach her the boundaries- chain link fence. She eventually developed a routine while I did my gardening chores, walking the perimeter, pretend-chasing the squirrels, and chewing some fresh grass. It’s worth having the patience to do it. I’m now training my two rescue kittens the same way, but they can jump the fence so I have to watch them more closely. It’s worth it to see the joy on their little faces when they see a butterfly up close or the first time they ran up the tree and looked down in horror like “yikes, what do I do now?”. They run a few laps and then collapse in the grass, happy to go back inside. 😺 Thanks to Jackson, I have treats in my hand as soon as they hear me say “come inside”. It works.

My cats absolutely love being outside. They always get so mesmerized, you can really tell their cat instinct comes online like nowhere else. I feel like they are so much happier, fulfilled and so much healthier. I love my babies

There are 4 cats in my neighborhood who are leash trained.

I just got a kitten from my local Humane Society and said I was going to harness train him and they said great!

This was really the push i needed, ive been training my cat for leash walking and my neighbor got very mad at me, ive been told to ignore them but scared, this video really inspired me to take my loving the out doors cat outside on walks :)

My girls have two totally different personalities. One loves going out on her leash and harness. We check out the perimeter of the house. She lounges in the backyard if she feels like it. The other one only wants to go out maybe once or twice a year, checks out the porch and the weather, and goes back in. They both love to watch Cat TV out the windows though.

I take our cat camping with us! We've been harness and leash training since she was 2 months. We still have our days where she just doesn't want to go out and other days, she loves it.

My cat loves to walk outside on the leash. The thing is, ever since she was a kitten. I would put her out in the yard to get some fresh air and she would run after dogs and cars and everything else. I am pretty sure I have the most fearless cat ever born to this earth. she is not afraid of anything and is the friendliest cat I’ve ever had. She loves to walk on her leash and go up to dogs and people and get attention and play. She’s the most wonderful cat in the world and truthfully, I’ve never had one like her, and I’ve had cats all of my life. She loves to see new things and explore. Loves to go out for walks and she loves interacting with other animals. She walked up to a flock of geese and sat right beside them. Not afraid of the biggest dog in the world… loves to go to the zoo and see other animals and loves to go to the beach. She’s definitely one of a kind and I wish I could clone 10 like her. Not only does she enjoy all of this, the second that I held her in my arms for the first time. She crawled up to my neck and wrapped her paws around it and squeezed. She loves, pushing her nose into my lips so I kiss it and she falls asleep like that. Truly amazing animal.

My cats don't particularly like being on leashes but they'll wear and walk around in leash with harness if they have to.. like when going to the Vet. It helps them to be able to hold on to our cats if they try to dash away and get hurt. My hubby's a bit too soft about the leash and harness and can't stand letting them wear it for more than a minute or two before he begs and begs to let them free as if it's bothering THEM. o-O They're... just sittin' there, hun. Be patient with them and they'll get used to it.

The shelter I volunteer with has a contract item that states the cat shall be kept indoors only, unless in a carrier or securely restrained by a harness and leash. It doesn't address catios, but everyone involved encourages them... IF your cat wants it.

I walk one of my cats, Reggie, with two harnesses on, one string harness and one mesh harness. He is an escape artist and if his arm slips out of one of his harnesses I attach the leash to the other harness. He also has a cat backpack for if there are dogs nearby! He absolutely loves going outside and is a fantastic walker. There's always ways to be responsible for your pet and mitigate risks!

1. they do NOT disclose that leash walking is no no. We got through 90 percent of the steps of adopting. (we were very honest about the kitten will have to be a leash bc of our park rules.) we were denied and told its bc the kitten needed to go with his brother.(we couldn't take two kittens,again rules of where we live) The foster person berated me for even considering. was extremely condescending about the term harness training vs leash training. Apparently many shelters don't allow or like that idea but do not list it on the adoption application. Agree it has to be the right cat. thank you for this video.

I have 4 cats, and only one of them likes to harness walk. He likes to go outside, he likes to explore with me. We've tried the catio thing, he doesn't like that as much as he likes the bonding of the harness walking. He's normally a nervous boy, and his harness walks give him a lot of confidence. He would be an unhappy cat if I didn't take him harness walking. Saying that no cats should be walked on harness, or that you can't adopt a cat from a place if you do is unfair to the cat as well as counterproductive in finding a potential loving home.

When I tried to put a leash on my cats they just thought they were stuck so they laid down 😄

My cat wears the vest style harness that is escape proof. He and I love to sit on a particular bench to watch the squirrels and birds and greet our neighbors. It’s outside the neighborhood pool, and he enjoys watching children play there. If left to himself, he will head to that bench every time. He also has a catio, but it needs repair. He pulled the hardware cloth loose and escaped twice! We both enjoy getting outside for so many reasons!

New cat owner here! My new, young cat wanted to go outside, so I'd let her out to run free for a few hours, then she'd come back. She got intestinal worms from eating something that had them, and which was a terrible ordeal to get rid of. She got sick from the medication, so letting her freely go out was not an option! In addition, there are also coyotes, foxes, and birds of prey around. Got a harness/leash so I can give her the stimulation of being outside and keep her from anything that could harm her! She LOVES her walks, a little not used to the harness, but it's new to her now, so I'm sure she'll get used to it in time. Thanks very much for all you do to help us out!!!

I've been walking my cats for years! My oldest for about 7 years. I've never ever had any issue, and they love it so much. They live for it. I've found that the key is to introduce it slowly and go through the necessary steps. In the rare event that they get spooked, they walk quickly toward the house, or I pick them up and they know they're safe. I think this totally depends on the cat, their relationship to you, your home, and the outdoors. But I would never want to take that time away from them where their raw cat can come out, and they can explore. I have two big screened in porches that they love as well, but there is a satisfaction and confidence that they exude when walking outside on a harness that could never be achieved another way.

I tried to walk and harness train my cat, but even though I started young, he decided that he didn’t like going away from home and didn’t like seeing other people outside. But he does enjoy coming out with me to a secluded, back yard setting. I can tell he enjoys that. So we do that instead! If he decided that he didn’t like going outside, I would stop that as well. It’s all for him after all. ❤️

thank you for making this video! the last thing we want to do as humans is oppress a creature just because we don't understand it. meditate risk, support the growth of specified harness/leash technology, and account/adjustfor/to to the fears within our little friends we have forced upon them with our world and practices. 😎✊❤️

We just had 4 inches of snow here in Oregon and we took our boy out for a walk around the house. The joy he got from playing in/attacking the snow was infectious. Love our Squidly

I have been walking my cats for years and never had an issue because I find a safe route and mitigated the risks as you mentioned here Jackson. I use a harness and I'm vigilant of people walking their dogs so if I see them coming I reroute myself or pick up my cat and walk away. My cat gets scare with loud noises so I am make sure is quite where we walk, if there is a sudden noise I make sure I reassured him that it is ok and pick him up until he asked me to put him down again. Partially, is knowing what scares your cat and making sure nothing scary is around.

my cat has never once stopped functioning when i put him on a leash. my cat dosnt reacte to things like a nomal cat. he just dosnt care and nothing bothers him. his not afraid of anything cats are "suppose*" to be afraid of either, like change or new people

My cat has a harness that fits her snugly & yet not too tight. I have a long leash to attach to it. Most prominently: my cat LOVES to go outside WITH ME, and on her leash & harness. She doesn’t like to walk in the street. She usually only “explores” the front steps, walkway, a section of the yard closest to the house. She “KNOWS” that “Let’s go outside!” means we fix up the harness, leash, the front door, and it’s a wonderful time for her to check out what’s in the immediate area. I keep an eye on her, I fasten the leash on my wrist. If she starts to pull tightly on the leash, I’m right there to make sure she’s not trying to g to wiggle out & run free. My cat seems so happy when she’s able to just get outside for a few minutes. In the warm months, we might be out for maybe as long as 20 minutes. My cat usually comes back toward the front door when I call her: “Let’s go back inside!” When we get back into the house, I unfasten her harness and quickly get her a cat treat & she gets to play with her favorite toys. My cat knows “the routine”. It seems to really satisfy her-and she also gets fed after our “go out” time! I’m thankful that I did not have to vow to keep my cat indoors & not use the leash & harness! I don’t have the money or resources for a “catio”, but she has a LOT of windows, a cat tree, lots of toys, treats she likes, etc. I’ve had cats as pets in the past, but this is the first one I’ve kept indoors & not “let out-free-range”. She’s been microchipped, also a “first”. My cat’s a wonderful little furry-friend & I enjoy her so much! I wouldn’t stop taking her out on a leash & harness unless it was a negative experience for HER. The extra trouble to double-check her harness security is worth it! One last point: I’ve seen some cat-harnesses online that are secured with Velcro. I’d NEVER try a Velcro-fastened harness on my cat. A snap-clasp or buckle seems much more secure than Velcro closings. (Velcro seems to lose its gripping power if too much cat-hair gets on the hook-loop surfaces. Thanks for letting me comment! Sorry it’s so long!

I just started leash training my Norwegian forest cat a couple weeks ago. I've had him for almost 9 years, his whole life basically. He's always loved going outside, but I kept him inside most of the time. I feel sad that I never tried the harness with him before, and think I must have been influenced by volunteering at a shelter to think I shouldn't try it with him. He has been doing amazing on the leash, even tolerating a new car seat and loving a visit to a community garden on the first try. I got him a secure harness, he doesn't try to get it off, and I unleashed dogs in the city is my biggest worry. I also just learned his breed, and this breed loves the outdoors and is very intellectually stimulated by new places, people and experiences. He was even confident at the vet with a stomach ache. So hopefully this new hobby of learning to explore with me will keep him healthy for many more years to come and he can teach other people about how some cats need nature and adventures too.

Out of all my cats, I've had ONE that was "that cat." The one that wanted to go outside. I prefer to keep them indoors to mitigate the risk of predation or being run over as I live in the country and close to paved road, and the drivers are absolutely nuts here. But that one cat, he wanted out. So I got him a good harness, a good leash, and he loved it. He got to go out safely, and it was so much fun to see him sniffing things, eating grass, rolling around in the dirt. It was AMAZING how much fun he had. I kept his harness and leash hung near where I sat a lot, so when he wanted to go for a walk, all he had to do was swat at it to make it rattle, and he knew he'd be getting a walk fairly quickly. I miss Bouncer a lot but he got sick and passed several years ago.

I've made sure that my kitten's harness isn't too tight or too loose. I've done this by putting it on him and letting him run around inside the house for an hour or so. If he's somehow managed to get it off, I adjusted it (even as he's been growing, Maine Coon) then repeat until it fits him just right where he's still comfortable, can't get it off, stops trying and just accepts it. He now gets excited seeing his harness in my hands and loves hanging out outside on the grass and letting the air flow through his fur. When the harness comes off, he wants it back on. When it's too hot outside, he has his cat tree next to the window where he can just look out at his kingdom.

Hi Jackson, 15 years ago I had a cat (Poetsie), he loved to walk with me, but he also liked to drive in a car, I could do anything with him, he just loved to be around me... At that time, I didn't know what kind of leash he should where, so it was a collar and that was fine by him, we also loved to cycle, he sat just on my back and my shoulder. When I went to the vet with him, he was just sitting on my shoulder and never in a carrier...later on I learned that it was more save offcourse...I was a bit naief a think, but that cat was something special. My other cats never want to go with me, they stay @home or in the Garden. I agree it depants on the cat. Thank you for sharing, I think our cats deserve some faith in them and you can tell when your cat wants something or not (hope my English is readable, I'm from Holland) Diana

Kudos to you Jackson, I have been a follower of yours for years. I have a 14 year old Flame point Siamese who not only walks on a leash in a safe "comfortable" harness, but also has a yard properly catified to protect her and allow outside fun. Her life has been so enhanced by your teaching. She is one very happy secure kitty. Loving life and playing still at 14. Thank you for all you do.